Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Winners of the Couch By Couchwest 'There is Hope for the Future Award' my favorite young rocker's The Foresters have released thier second album 'Living Hold' and thier growth as musicians both musically and lyrically is exponential. They are on a roll, tight well crafted, and energetic, the lads sound like polished rock and roll veterans but with the possibilities that thier youth provides them. I am in thier corner rootin' hard for them. Evan, Hayden, and Liam you fellows are inspiring and your talent will take you as far as you wish to go, stay the dream.

When the staff at Couch by Couchwest receive The End Men’s yearly submission the collective response is…. The End Men…THE EFFIN’ END MEN MAN! With good reason, Matthew and Livia deliver the goods. With two stellar releases under their belt ‘Build It Up’ and ‘Play With Your Toys’ the duo have garnered praise from many quarters. They’re latest release ‘Odds And Ends’ drops today, a collection of songs toyed with past and present but not released, the band polished them up all shiny and new with a collaboration of a wide array of international artists and friends. Showing their chops at diversify their sound and exploring their own limits (which seem boundless at this point) Odd’s and Ends acts as an entry point for new fans and a tease of things to come for old fans.Odds & Ends Tracklist:
The Wolves
Work
A Storm Is Coming
Salute
War
Whiskey Rain
Ratking

The End Men are putting together a show tonight that will be nothing short of spectacular! Taking place in one of NYC's premier venues, Mercury Lounge, they will kick off a month long tour of shows that will include a Europe Tour, make the new album available for the first time, and once again stomp the night away with a full set of music, followed by a second set as part of Killing Streets, the newest evolution to the career of the incredibly talented Matt King. Don’t miss your chance to see what it’s all about.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Hot on the tail of a prolific three years of releases - the critically acclaimed 3 (2011), Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (2012) and Ohio Grass (2013) - Buffalo Killers has just completed their fifth full-length studio effort, Heavy Reverie. The album was recorded in Cleveland, OH at Crushtone Studios with producer Jim Wirt, and will be available May 13th on vinyl, CD and digital formats via Sun Pedal Recordings.
Listen to Poisonberry Tide and Dig On In

Saturday, April 26, 2014

I've been very procrastidazicial lately, bunch of draft posts started and such I just can't find my mojo. So I thought I'd resurrect the Popakazooza series and get some of this music you should dig into your ears and maybe get me back on track. As always, like em, support em.Stream:
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Grab em:

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Rising in the New York City music scene is Silverbird. Founded by charismatic frontman and songwriter Tim Barr comes a life story that includes a stint playing with Lizzy Grant AKA Lana Del Rey in the NYC club scene opening for the likes of The Blow and playing sold out shows at venues in the LES, and in the NYC jazz scene studying and playing with Dizzy Gillespie's longtime pianist and protege Mike Longo. Silverbird represents a startlingly raw new talent. With influences as diverse as Wilco, Heartless Bastards, and Sparklehorse, their music fearlessly treads through an emotional landscape that, combined with infectious melodies and swirling, intricate rhythms, provides an absolutely enchanting first listen. Armed only with basement tapes and rough demos, Tim Barr caught the attention of English producer Kristopher Harris (Smoke Fairies, Story Books, Mathew and the Atlas) and a partnership was formed. Out of this partnership comes Silverbird’s new EP, Surface Life, due for a mid 2014 release.

In order to perform live Tim collected the talent of three musicians to support him. Corey Davis on Bass, Dan Whaley on lead guitar and Jacob Schuab on Drums (The upperclassman). They bring their individual talents and collective musical experience together to create a synergy that is explosive and sparkles with vibrancy and dynamic life.

Silverbird recently performed a run of successful shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with recent plays at Cameo Gallery and a support slot for Rey Pila at Baby’s All Right. Other recent NYC shows include Pianos and the Decades Records CMJ Showcase with Band in Heaven.

Listen to the sweeping rocker, Hollow Heart from the new EP, Surface Life, due for a May 27th release.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Lorelle Meets The Obsolete (aka Alberto González). “Lorelle (aka Lorena Quintanilla) release their new single ‘Sealed Scene’ (music video below) next week (April 7). It’s the second single to be lifted from the Mexican psych duo’s acclaimed third album ‘Chambers’ and will be available on iTunes and all respectable download retailers. It comes backed by the ‘Silo Version’ of album track ‘Third Wave’ The new version of ‘Third Wave’ came together after the band played the song on their first European tour late last year, so they added new guitar and drones to the original rhythm tracks. The name comes from the fact that the vocals were recorded in an empty grain silo.

Over the past three years a hand-full of songs and recordings have come from The End Men that didn't find their way onto a formal release. Now newly remixed and remastered these tunes will find a home on the upcoming extended EP "Odds & Ends!" Seven never heard before versions of well known tracks like Work and The Wolves accompany some rare gems and a myrid of co-creations and special guests creating an album that is a must have for dug in fans, and an interesting glimpse into the musical breadth of the band for all listeners.

To celebrate, The End Men are putting together a show that will be nothing short of spectacular! Taking place in one of NYC's premier venues, Mercury Lounge, they will kick off a month long tour of shows, make the new album available for the first time, and once again stomp the night away with a full set of music, followed by a second set as part of Killing Streets, the newest evolution to the career of the incredibly talented Matt King. Don’t miss your chance to see what it’s all about.

Matt King grew up in the mountains of Hendersonville North Carolina, in a family made up of Hatfields, preachers, trainmen, bootleggers and other folks with a noticeable penchant for killing each other. After surviving hair metal with the rest of us, he did a stint on Atlantic records in the 90s, in full-on country mode, and has spent years composing for film and television -- all the while producing a stout catalog of his own songs, and touring them around the world.

As time and touring have gone on, Matt's music has stretched further out, scratching at his bluegrass roots, and kicking further through the barrier between 'hillbilly' and 'rock.' Never has this been more pronounced, or more fulfilling, than it is in its current form as Matt King and Killing Streets.

Powered by the rhythm section of high-volume genre-benders Godmaker, filled out by the gritty vocals, ultra-dynamic guitars and relentless percussion of The End Men, and capped by the powerful vocals of Meagan Jones, Killing Streets is breathing new life into songs that were never short of breath in the first place. They’re branching out into more esoteric territory by the day, all the while putting motion in your hips, ringing in your ears and a smile on your face.

It’s a mix that could only happen in a group with roots that stretch from Idaho to Kansas to Tennessee to Texas to North Carolina to New York to Italy, and convene somehow in Brooklyn. Matt’s music has been called everything from “country” to “southern fiction” to “gothic americana” to just good old fashioned "rock."

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Foxy Shazam have released a new full-length, Gonzo, which is available immediately to stream or download for free. Additionally, the band are slated to embark on a spring tour of North America in support of its release. The group's fifth full-length overall and first independent release since their 2005 debut, The Flamingo Trigger, Gonzo was recorded in Chicago, produced by the Foxy, and engineered by the legendary Steve Albini. It follows 2012's The Church Of Rock And Roll, though is sonically more akin to band's earlier material. In addition to its digital release, the album will be available as a limited edition 180-gram vinyl, now available for pre-order.

The legend goes, on the bands first out-of-state tour The Bigsbys lead singer Alex Smith purchased an old suitcase in a Goodwill store in Beaumont, Texas for $3. During the tour he discovered the lining of the suitcase was filled with old money. Lots of old money. The tour concluded and the money was spent but the suitcase has accompanied the band to every gig since. Serving duties as merch case, pedal board carrier and an actual suitcase, it's always nearby.
Everythings bigger and better in Texas including apparently suitcases. Goodwill Suitcase is jammed and busting the seams with songs well suited for traversing the open roads with your cares left behind like so many empty bottles.

Cindy Emch and Sean Malroy [aka Sizzle] two thirds of Bay Area trio Rhubarb Whiskey, draw from a wide palette of influences, and their years as a songwriting team, to brew up this latest effort. In 2011 Rhubarb Whiskey was working on their new album and asked Sizzle to sit in and add some fiddle into the mix, and soon after was added to the band’s line-up. While RW is on a hiatus the two kindred spirits Emchy and Sizzle shared long long stories of their adventures, unearthing old musical nuggets from personal archives, and trying to figure out what it would sound like if they made thier own weird idiosyncratic version of Americana. The result is Sinners Tonic and this three song EP

Cindy Explains, "The songs are introspective, nostalgic, and above all celebrate friendship and the ways that friend love can absolutely fuel our lives and fill our souls. I wrote the barebones of the songs and lyrics while Sizzle made beautiful things happen within the arrangements. I am so proud of what we made. The song Lansing is the oral history of my early 20's with my best friend in Michigan. Days and nights that literally saved my life and helped build me into who I am. Fog and Roses is a goodbye song written as I was driving over the Bay Bridge to the last in person Rhubarb Whiskey rehearsal before Boylamayka moved to the rust belt. The bridge full of fog, the night full of beauty, sometimes you know you'll never get another night like that again. It marks the end of an era. Whiskey & Burn Barrels was written about one of the most beautiful engagement events I'd ever attended. Dozens of friends gathered to surprise my friend with a specifically meaningful song while her love asked for her hand and whiskey was passed round. It was the longest night of the year with burn barrels blazing in West Oakland. Surrounded by tattoos, hoodies, cigarettes, and smiles I've rarely felt so much love, warmth, snark, and family."

Long a fan on Ms Emch's many endeavors, on Sinners Tonic she and Sizzle display a personal bond, as they weave heatfelt lyrics with thier unique intertwined instrumentation and compositions.
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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Pittsburgh's 1,2,3 return with their sophomore double album the 20 songs leave no stone unturned for influnces, full of musical twists and turns Big Weather is truly exceptional. Available on May 27 via their own record label American Hermitage

Combining classic rock with the best elements of lo-fi soul, punk, garage and even classical music sampling, this is the first new music 1,2,3 has released since their critically-acclaimed debut album New Heaven. (2011)
After dissolving the band towards the end of 2012, they reconvened last year to complete work on the follow-up, after being inspired by dystopian movies and unpredictable weather disasters, some of which halted production on the album due to flooding in their house hence, Big Weather. The 20 conceptual songs that comprise the album were recorded on primitive gear with creaky old guitars, and nary a synth in sight. It runs the gamut from psych, to rock & roll with surfy elements, along with some vinyl sampling and narrative interludes added in to conjure certain feelings and textures.Big Weather Tracklisting:
1. Big Weather Pt. 1
2. Leave Me In The Sky With The Lawnchair
3. Pontoon Song
4. Waiting For The Horsemen
5. Mile High Grass
6. Bus To Babylon
7. Refusal Bop
8. Shapes of Wrath
9. Fear/Pure Elevation
10. Rebuilding
11. Stone Haus
12. Porch Swing Song
13. Big Black Car
14. Big Weather Pt. 2
15. In The House of The Locust
16. When The Levee Broke at The County Fair (Free Download)
17. Strawberry
18. Faith Hill
19. Where We Lived
20. Sick of the End

The power trio led by the Stratocaster genius Parker Griggs have found the formula : powerful, crunching Sabbathstyle chords and fiery solos that earn the right to be called Hendrixian and plants its flag firmly in the territory where psychedelic rock and cranked-up blues meet. The sound is unabashedly retro (think Cream, Blue Cheer, Led Zep or Jimi Hendrix Experience) so it’s easy to see how it caught the ear of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, who produced its 2007 self-titled debut.

Radio Moscow'ssixth release "Magical Dirt" comes out June 17, 2014 on Alive Naturalsound

With a flare for Beatlesque and Floydish instumental experimentation with dreamish surreal vocals, Vows paint crystalline hallucinations worthy of frequent flashbacks on these back to back Ep's that set them apart in the retro psych/pop revival.
Hailing from central New Jersey, Vows originally consisted of Jeff Pupa (aka Bone Blanket), and James Hencken (aka Nillo). To meet the needs of a waxing group of followers who demand live performance, they have expanded to include three other members – Sabeel Azam, Ryan Ward, and Scott Soffer of Crystal Mountain Music Collective. Following up on thier NPR acclaimed 2011's debut 'Winter’s Grave'
are two new EP releases '0' and the self-titled 'Vows' released 25th and 27th of March via Tree Machine Records.

"Vows’ debut album Winter’s Grave arrived to NPR folded carefully in a worn piece of paper xeroxed with hand-drawn artwork. True to it’s packaging, Winter’s Grave is delicately hand-crafted rather then sloppily home-spun. Vows is a dreamy, atmospheric band with pop sensibilities from a small town in New Jersey. The album’s title track has a satisfying blend of enchanting and eerie sounds. It opens with a vibrant riff that rattles over synth keys but slips into dissonant, creepy organ sounds. In an email, lead vocalist Jeff Pupa explains that the song was inspired by his experiences with travel, particularly a trip to Alaska after his college graduation: It's sort of an anthem/pep rally song for the idea of soul-searching. Maybe you leave and find nothing, maybe you return to where you started, but either way you've got the visuals of mammoth land and soundscapes surrounding you." - NPR

"Lights On" is the brand new funkilishous, soulfulightful, rapidasidy debut single from NYC producer Strange Majik After attending several of the freestyle hip-hop soul parties called The Lesson in NYC, Majik tapped the raw talents of Bronx rap powerhouse Phase One and Brooklyn soul/jazz vocalist Melanie Charles to join him. Recorded at Flow NY in March 2014.